1:1 link swaps
"You link to me, I link to you" is the exact reciprocal pattern Google's spam policies name. Easy to build, easy to flag, and both sites carry the footprint forever.
The problem
Why the usual ways to get backlinks fail
Agencies
SaaS link-building agencies charge $2,000–$10,000/mo, and you rarely control which sites your links live on. Great for funded teams; brutal for bootstrappers.
Directories & marketplaces
Junk directories and link marketplaces sell placements from sites with no audience and no topical relevance. Cheap links that move nothing — or worse.
The core idea
Real founder backlinks — without the reciprocal swap
Loops of 3–5 founders mean the site you link to is never the site linking back to you.
Direct swap
- You link them, they link you
- An obvious reciprocal pair in the link graph
- Google names "excessive link exchanges" as link spam
Loop matching
- You give a backlink to one founder; a different one links you
- No reciprocal pair to detect
- Placements sit in real content, chosen for topic fit
How it works
Claim → match → give → request
Claim your domain
Pick it from your launches or type it in. We enrich it, score it, and place it in an authority tier from 1 to 5. You start with 50 credits and a 14-day Pro trial.
Set matching preferences
Choose niche clusters, cap monthly gives, block competitors. The matcher runs twice a day and only builds loops within ±2 tiers and adjacent niches.
Give a sentence, earn credits
Review the matched founder's one-sentence insertion, place it on your page, mark it live. Higher-tier domains earn more per insertion.
Request links back
Spend credits to request links. The giving owner approves and places your sentence; crawls verify it at day 7, 30, and 90.
Quality & verification
Screened before it ships, verified after it's live
Authority tiers 1–5
Every claimed domain gets a custom 0–100 authority score — not Moz DA, not Ahrefs DR — and a tier. Loops match within ±2 tiers so links stay fair in both directions.
| Tier | Authority | Credits / link |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0–19 | 10 |
| 2 | 20–34 | 25 |
| 3 | 35–49 | 60 |
| 4 | 50–64 | 150 |
| 5 | 65+ | 350 |
Relevance screening + owner review
Every proposed insertion is auto-scored for topical fit before the owner of the site hosting the link approves and places it by hand. Low-fit submissions get rejected — no injected links, no blind placements.
Crawl verification
Day 7 settles credits and awards trust. Day 30 and 90 re-check. Removals claw back credits and cost trust — the same trust score founders build on LaunchPact launches.
Pricing
Give free. Request with Pro.
Your first domain claim starts a free 14-day Pro trial — no card required.
Free
- 1 claimed domain
- Give links & earn credits
- Browse matched opportunities
- Requesting links — locked after trial
Backlink Network Pro
$29/mo
- 3 claimed domains
- Request & receive links (5 concurrent)
- Full partner pool (All tiers)
- 1.25× credit earn multiplier
FAQ
Backlink exchange questions, answered
Classic 1:1 link swaps are the pattern Google's spam policies call out as excessive link exchanges. The Backlink Network never creates reciprocal pairs: loops of 3–5 sites mean the site you link to is never the site linking back to you, links sit inside real sentences on real founder product sites, and both sides are screened for topical relevance before anything goes live.
Yes. Placements are standard do-follow editorial links: a one-sentence insertion in an existing page's content, with anchor text agreed between both founders and approved by the site owner who publishes it.
Founder-owned product and company sites claimed through LaunchPact. Each claimed domain is quality-scored (a custom 0–100 authority score — not Moz DA or Ahrefs DR) and placed in a tier from 1 to 5. Loops only match sites within two tiers of each other and in the same or an adjacent niche, so links stay relevant in both directions.
One natural sentence added to an existing page on the giving site, containing a do-follow link to the receiving site — the same thing the SEO industry sells as a niche edit or curated link insertion. An automated relevance screen scores every proposed insertion before the site owner reviews and places it manually.
No. Credits are never for sale. You earn them by placing verified links for other founders — higher-tier domains earn more per insertion — and you spend them to request links from the network. Your first domain claim starts you with 50 credits, and credits expire after 6 months so the network stays active.
Free covers claiming one domain, giving links, and earning credits. Requesting and receiving links is part of Backlink Network Pro ($29/mo): up to 3 domains, 5 concurrent placements, the full partner pool, and a 1.25× earn multiplier. Your first domain claim starts a 14-day Pro trial automatically, so you can request links from day one.
Crawls check every placement at day 7, 30, and 90. Credits only settle after the day-7 crawl confirms the link is live, and if a link is removed later the giver's credits are clawed back and their trust score drops. Follow-through is visible on the same trust score founders build through LaunchPact launches.
Yes. Each domain's matching preferences let you block specific domains and whole niche clusters, cap how many links you give per month, and pause giving entirely. Loops also never match two sites that already link to each other in either direction.
Claim your domain before your next launch
Give one sentence. Earn real links. Free to start.